Folding and guiding attachment for sewing-machines.



0. T. MoKANE. I y FOLDING AND GUIDING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED DBOJIB, 1909.

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WITNESSES: U

Altomey Pdfented Oct. 25,1910.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CALVERT T. MGKANE, OF BEAVER FALLS, BENNSYLVANIA.

FOLDING AND GUIDING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CALVERT T. McKANE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Beaver Falls, in the county of Beaver and State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Folding and Guiding Attachments for Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a specification,reference being had there.- in to the accompanying drawings.

This invention has for its object to provide a folding guide for folding and presenting a strip of fabric to the stitch-forming mechanism of a sewing machine in such a manner that the strip will be folded into a tubular form and the overlapping edges thereof may be united together by overseaming stitches, so as to form a flat seam on one side of the tubular work produced, the stitches not passing through and through the work, and therefore not showing on one side of the work when the tubular product is flattened out. In the manufacture of mens trousers it is common to provide them at their tops on their outer sides with a series of loops for holding belts. These loops have heretofore been made by hand from folded strips of material like that from which the trousers are made; and this invention has for its object to provide a sewing machine attachment by which a tubular product may be formed from a folded strip of fabric and which tubular product may be cut up into proper lengths for use as loops for the purpose just referred to.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred form of the invention, illustrating its operation, and showing a strip of fabric being stitched into tubular form. Fig. 2 is a plan view, Fig. 3 a side view and Fig. 4 a front end view of the attachment shown in Fig. 1, but with the work omitted. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section on line 55, of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a transverse section on line 66, Fig. 2, illustrative of the operation of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, 12 denotes a metal plate forming the body of the attachment and serving as a support for the other parts thereof, said plate being provided with a central longitudinal opening 13. The form of the invention herein illustrated is adapted for use on overseaming sewing machines similar to those shown and described in U. S. Patents Nos. 639,669 and 67 9,553, to C. A. Dearborn, and in which a Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 25, 1910.

Application filed December 18, 1909. Serial No. 533,882.

with a sewing machine of the kind referred to, and comprising a horizontally swinging curved needle 14, the plate 12 is provlded with a bridge-piece 15 by which it may be rigidly attached to the frame of the machine. Rigidly secured to one end of the plate 12 is a second bridge-piece 16 having a central depending part or tongue 17 to which is permanently attached, by rivets or otherwise, a suspended, longitudinally extending, elastic tongue 17. Also rigidly attached to the lower side of the plate 12 is a thin plate 18 on which is mounted a scroll l9 closed at its back or bottom but having overlapping lips at the forward end of its top, the said scroll loosely inclosing the said longitudinally extending elastic tongue 17. As said tongue 17 is supported from above, or clear of the back or bottom plate 18, the work may freely pass between said tongue and plate.

In the operation of the invention a strip of fabric, as 20, is led into the scroll 19 and in being passed forward through the said scroll it is folded around the tongue 17 in such a manner that as the said strip emerges from the said scroll the edges of the strip will be overlapped on the upper side of the work which is thus folded into tubular form, 1

closely adjacent the forward end of the,

scroll in such a manner that the said needle will pass through the overlapping upper portions of the tubular product, and thus stitch said overlapping portions together by a flat overseam which will permit the tubular product to be flattened out, to form fiat loops, for the purpose hereinbefore stated. In this operation of the invention the feeding device of the sewing machine will bear upon the work passing between a toothed or serrated feeding wheel or feed dog, of usual construction, and the forward end of the elastic tongue 17 which is disposed in the longitudinal slot 13, and thus the feeding device, in cooperation with said tongue, will feed the work through the attachment as the stitching progresses.

In applying the invention to machines of the character of those shown by the Dearborn patents above referred to the attachment is arranged horizontally, as shown in the drawings, to accommodate a horizontally reciprocating needle, but it will be understood that the invention may be applied to overseaming machines employing a vertically reciprocating needle, and in such case the attachment will be arranged edgewise vertically, and a feeding device, which will bear upon the work between itself and the forward end of the tongue 17, will be properly disposed to accommodate the vertically arranged guiding and folding attachment.

Having thus described my invention I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A folding and guiding attachment for sewing machines comprising a suitable body portion or support provided with an opening or slot, a longitudinally extending, elastic tongue sustained by said body portion or support, and a folding scroll loosely surrounding a portion of said tongue and hav ing overlapping lips at its forward end, said tongue having a yielding portion extending beyond the forward end of said scroll in said opening or slot for the purpose of co6perat ing with a feeding device in feeding the work.

2. A folding and guiding attachment for sewing machines comprising a suitable body or support provided with an opening, a back or bottom plate attached thereto, a longitudinally extending elastic tongue sustained by said body portion or support clear of said back or bottom plate, and a folding scroll loosely surrounding said tongue and having a closed back or bottom, said scroll having overlapping lips at its forward end, the said tongue extending beyond the forward end of said scroll in said opening or slot for the purpose of cooperating with a feeding device in feeding the work.

3. A folding and guiding attachment for sewing machines comprising a suitable body or support, a back or bottom plate attached thereto, a longitudinally extending tongue sustained by said body portion or support clear of said back or bottom plate, and a folding scroll loosely surrounding a portion of said tongue and having a closed back or bottom but having overlapping lips at its forward end, said tongue extending beyond the forward end of said scroll for the purpose of cooperating with a feeding device in feeding the work.

4. A folding and guiding attachment for sewing machines comprising the plate or support 12 having a slot 13, a bridge-piece 16 and a back or bottom plate 18 both attached to said plate 12, an elastic tongue 17 supported by said bridge-piece, and a folding scroll 19 on said back or bottom plate and having a closed back or bottom and overlapping lips at its forward end.

5. A folding and guiding attachment for sewing machines comprising the plate or support 12 having a slot 13, a bridge-piece 16 and a back or bottom plate 18 both attached to said plate 12, an elastic tongue 17 supported by said bridge-piece, and a fold ingscroll 19 on said back or bottom plate and having a closed back or bottom and overlapping lips at its forward end, said tongue 17 extending in said slot 13 beyond the forward end of said scroll.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

CALVERT T. MCKANE. Vitnesses DANIEL UrDnenAri-I, A. R. LEYDA. 

